Many people do shoretrips. We usually book ours through the ship just so we don't have to worry about getting back to the ship on time. Plus, the cruise lines normally have checked out the vendors. If you have an excursion that you don't like, you can let the cruise line know. Sometimes, they can help, sometimes they can't, but they will definitely take your information to heart. I've seen them drop vendors because the excursion wasn't what was promised.